The appearance of scorpions in La Plata has been noticed by the neighbors and the complaints become more frequent when it is very hot and temperatures are high for several days. In the last hours, a woman was bitten by one of the arachnids when she came out of bathing in her house in San Carlos and, in that context, the UNLP explained how to prevent bites and what to do in the presence of this type of arachnids.
The researcher of the Center for Parasitological and Vector Studies (CEPAVE) dependent on the house of studies from La Plata, alda gonzalezaccurate What are the species found in our city, where they usually hide and what care must be taken: “Most of the species of scorpions live in places far from man, hidden, and are nocturnal; This makes them a group little observed by most people, but unfortunately species that are of health interest tend to live in urban environments, which makes them more dangerous, because the person-scorpion encounter increases remarkably”, indicated the specialist.
“While all scorpions have venom, most are not dangerous to humans. In Argentina there is only one genus, Tityus, of sanitary importance and within it, in La Plata only two species are responsible for serious accidents through their bite. In other words, only 4% of the scorpion species in our country could be considered dangerous.”added the UNLP expert.
Along these lines, he explained that the species Tityus carilloi is present in the city, which It is characterized by its light yellowish color, long claws, with long and thin nails and a subaculear process. This process is found in the last segment of the tail and is a second tip that the segment has, which is located before the tip with which the scorpion injects the venom.
Another characteristic is that this species can be parthenogenetic, that is, the females pThey can have young without the participation of the male and all their offspring will be female. In other words, with a single specimen, you can have a colonization in a suitable place.
González also explained that Bothriurus bonaerensis, a medium, robust and dark scorpion, is present in rural and rural-urban areas. These specimens are usually found in farm areas and their bite, although extremely rare, does not have serious consequences for humans.
Thus, CEPAVE recommended taking the following preventive measures:
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Do not leave clothes, personal belongings and other items on the floor (this is a measure that protects us from dangerous spiders as well)
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Check and shake clothing and footwear
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Shaking out bedding before going to bed or putting a baby or child to bed
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Exercise caution when examining drawers or shelves
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Avoid walking barefoot or with open shoes in areas where the presence of scorpions is known
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Carry out all kinds of debris removal actions or movements of deposit material with thick gloves and suitable closed footwear.
Protection inside homes
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Use sanitary grates in room and sanitary drains
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Control the entrances and exits of pipes, openings and crevices
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Place weather stripping or woven wire (mosquito net) on doors and windows
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Revoke the walls, repair cracks in floors, walls and ceilings
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Control underground chambers, pipes, basements, elevator shafts and wall cavities
Protection for the surroundings of the houses
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Carry out careful and periodic cleaning of the houses and surroundings
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Carry out garbage control to reduce the number of arthropods (spiders and cockroaches) that serve as food for scorpions
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Avoid accumulation of construction materials, rubble, firewood, litter because they are usually places where they are kept, preserved and dispersed. Avoid putting your hands together
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Scorpions can be found in rural areas (under tree barks, stones, bricks) or urban areas (basements, tunnels, warehouses, underground chambers).
THE APP TO KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THEY ARE
It is worth noting that the CEPAVE Arachnology Laboratory developed an application through which scorpions and spiders can be identified and determine whether or not they are actually dangerous. Users only have download it from play store and through it they only have to take a photo of the specimen found and send it through it to make a query about whether the insect is.
Upon receiving the query in the Laboratory, it is analyzed and a prompt response is given with the identification of the specimen and indicating whether it is dangerous for humans or not. This application, which began to be used at the end of 2017, also has a catalog of species of sanitary interest in Argentina, of some species of spiders that are common to see and are not dangerous, as well as tips to prevent accidents.
CONSULTATIONS IN LA PLATA
In the same way, it is worth noting that in the city it is also possible to consult the Toxicology Service of the Sor María Ludovica Children’s Hospital, approaching with the specimen of the captured scorpion, calling the telephone 0800-333-1133 or by contacting WhatsApp at (0221) 451-5555.
